A Melbourne synagogue was damaged by arsonists in an attack that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned as antisemitic.
A Melbourne synagogue was severely damaged by arsonists on Friday in an attack that Australian Prime Minister condemned as an antisemitic assault on the country's values. The blaze at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne is the latest in a series of targeted attacks in Australia linked to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
At around 4:10 a.m., a witness who had come to pray said he saw two masked men using brooms to spread a liquid accelerant inside the synagogue. Firefighters were quickly dispatched, with 60 personnel and 17 trucks responding to the blaze.Police confirmed considerable damage, though no injuries were reported.What Was the Official Response to the Arson Attack at Melbourne's Adass Israel Synagogue?Prime Minister Albanese called the attack 'shocking' and unequivocally condemned it as antisemitic.He said: 'There is no place in Australia for an outrage such as this. To attack a place of worship is an attack on Australian values.'Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also denounced the attack as 'abhorrent' and urged Australian authorities to act swiftly to bring the perpetrators to justice.Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann, the synagogue's religious leader, described the arsonists as thugs.Despite the destruction, he called for calm and unity, urging the community to gather for Sabbath prayers.Rise in Antisemitic Incidents in AustraliaHe said: 'We must all go and find a sense of calmness, camaraderie and community.'The attack follows a rise in antisemitic incidents across Australia since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. In response, the Australian government took action earlier this year by banning the public display of Nazi symbols and salutes. It also appointed special envoys to combat both antisemitism and Islamophobia within the community.Jillian Segal, Australia's Jewish envoy, expressed concern over the escalating threats.'The Jewish community here is feeling ever more rattled,' she said, drawing parallels between the attack and historical acts of violence against Jewish communities. 'This has resonance with what happened during the Holocaust.'What is the Australian Government Doing to Combat Antisemitism?Victoria state Premier Jacinta Allan stressed the symbolic importance of the synagogue, which was built by Holocaust survivors, many of whom had immigrated to Australia from Hungary after World War II.She announced an immediate $64,300 fund to help repair the synagogue and pledged to increase the police presence in the area.She said: 'Every available resource will be deployed to find these criminals who tried to tear a community apart.'Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, urged the broader Australian community to stand against the hate.'Don't leave the Jewish people behind,' Aghion said, adding that the Jewish community needed to feel protected against such attacks. 'Stand with us. Stand against this hate,' he implored.This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press
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